View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by South East Academic Libraries System (SEALS) ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACT OF THE MDANTSANE URBAN RENEWAL PROGRAMME ON THE LIVES AND LIVELIHOODS OF BENEFICIARIES (2001-2011): THE CASE OF THE EASTERN CAPE BUFFALO CITY METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITY BY NTOMBIZABANTU MHLEKUDE A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE MASTER OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AT THE FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT AND COMMERCE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION UNIVERSITY OF FORT HARE SUPERVISOR: DR T.R. MLE JULY 2013 DECLARATION I, Ntombizabantu Mhlekude, do hereby declare that the treatise submitted by me for the Master of Public Administration degree at the University of Fort Hare has not been submitted previously for a degree at this or any other institution. It is my own work in design and execution and all reference material contained within has been duly acknowledged. The selection and arrangement of material, the balancing of emphasis and the precise form of exposition are my own, and I accept responsibility for any error. _______________ ______________ N. Mhlekude Date i DEDICATION To my dear son, Vuyo, who was called home to be with the Lord the first week I started this programme. I thought of you with love today, but that is nothing new. I thought about you yesterday and the day before that too. I think of you in silence. I often say your name. But all I have are memories and your picture in a frame. Your memory is my keepsake with which I’ll never part. God has you in His keeping. I have you in my heart. I shed tears for what might have been. A million times I’ve cried. If love alone could have saved you, you never would have died. In life I loved you dearly. In death I love you still. In my heart you hold a place no one can ever fill. It broke my heart to lose you but you didn’t go alone, For part of me went with you, the day God took you home. (Author Unknown). ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Almighty God created all of mankind as spiritual beings - in His own image. What we make of our human experience is a matter of personal choice. Some acquire knowledge and wisdom as they progress along the path of life while others choose to pursue it more deliberately, being aware of the fact that life has an eternal dimension. I am particularly grateful to the Almighty God for His abundant grace, strength and guidance, without whom nothing could have been achieved. The journey of discovering knowledge and wisdom is a challenging path. It takes one through dark valleys of uncertainty and to exhilarating heights of celebration and joy. There are opportunities of rest along the way - stops to question and silently reason, but they are in reality intersections of uncertainty and exit roads to end the journey. It is the solidarity of moments of questioning and reasoning where one discovers that choices are decided by the value judgment of the jury in one’s soul. My profound gratitude goes to my husband (Khwalo) for moral and material support and for keeping up with my absence during the preparation of this treatise. I am also grateful to my mother (Coco) for whose sweat and toil I would not have attained my present level of education. I met many people along the way, and made valuable friends. My sincerest gratefulness goes to my supervisor, Dr. T.R. Mle, who meticulously read through the drafts and guided me with valuable criticisms through the various stages of the writing and completion of this dissertation. I really have to acknowledge his patience, abundant knowledge in research, his excellent human relations and his ability to listen to one’s views and offer valuable suggestions. Another personality who has been a major influence in the preparation and completion of this work is Dr. K. Ayivor. I am thankful to him for having been a constant source of inspiration to me. His vast fund of knowledge was generously shared with me in the development of this work. Certain questions he asked me on this research often set me thinking in new and interesting directions and resulted in certain features of this work which otherwise might not have been there. iii It is also my pleasure to acknowledge my indebtedness to Mr. Bheki Mthembu for proof reading and editing my work and the valuable comments he provided. I am thankful to all the respondents of this research for their time and input. I am also appreciative to a host of individuals and friends for their continued interest in my career advancement. And lastly, a sincere word of gratitude goes to the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality for financing my studies. iv INTEGRATIVE SUMMARY A number of concepts are used to describe the renewal of urban environments. These include regeneration, revitalisation, redevelopment and renewal. Often these are used interchangeably: between states and nations, government agencies, academics and even within texts. The term ‘urban renewal’ is predominantly used in this study because it is the key terminology used in South Africa, and in particular, when the Urban Renewal Programme (URP) was launched in 2001. Urban renewal is a worldwide phenomenon and continues to be a growing trend to redress the social and physical consequences of inappropriate planning. Government agencies, sometimes in partnership with the private sector generally initiate this venture with the aim to improve the social and physical fabric of ‘blighted’ areas. Urban renewal is founded on different social and urban theories. These include competitive city and new managerialism; new urbanism and compact cities; elite theories, etc. These theories are based on different assumptions about the causes of socio- economic problems in urban settings which in turn influence the various strategies developed by governments worldwide. These strategies include social mix, community building, empowerment and generally the physical development of the built area. Various approaches devised to redress the mistakes of the past tend to encompass and repackage aspects of both past theories and solutions using the benefits of hindsight and a deeper understanding of both the complexities involved and the need to engage the people affected in the process. Theories underpinning contemporary urban renewal involve a blend of physical determinism; cycles of disadvantage and concentrations of poverty together with social exclusion and inclusion (with its renewed emphasis on community building, community participation and community development). Even so, the literature highlights the inadequacy of these approaches to address the broader structural issues which are now more complex and unpredictable as a consequence of the economic, social, cultural and political influence of the globalising world. It, however, always remains crucial to involve the people in all stages of renewal and to provide ample opportunities for them to engage the powers that be in their own development and programmes taking place in their areas. v This study is centred on the Mdantsane Urban Renewal Programme (MURP) and how it has been implemented in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM) since inception. The inquiry covers the ten years (2001-2011) during which the Urban Renewal Programme (URP) was piloted in South Africa. This research evaluates the impact of the MURP on the lives and the livelihoods of beneficiaries (Mdantsane residents). Their perceptions and experiences are thus fundamental to determine the extent to which their lives have been affected through the implementation of the MURP. The areas explored through this research are social, economic, physical and community wellbeing of the Mdantsane residents. The study reviews the opinions and views of the various stakeholders and beneficiaries affected by the MURP and based on these, draws some conclusions and provides recommendations on what could possibly be done by the BCMM in its implementation of the MURP. vi ACRONYMS ACDP - African Christian Democratic Party ANC - African National Congress BCMM - Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality CBD - Central Business District CBO - Community Based Organisation CDS - City Development Strategy CoGTA - Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs DA - Democratic Alliance DFA - Development Facilitation Act DPLG - Department of Provincial and Local Government EC - Eastern Cape EL - East London GMT - Growth Machines Theory IDP - Integrated Development Plan[ning] ISRDP - Integrated and Sustainable Rural Development Programme LED - Local Economic Development MEC - Member of Executive Committee MURP - Mdantsane Urban Renewal Programme NGO - Non-Governmental Organisation NPM - New Public Management vii PAC - Pan African Congress PMU - Project Management Unit RDF - Regional Development Framework RDP - Reconstruction and Development Programme RSA - Republic of South Africa SA - South Africa SACN - South African Cities Network SIPPs - Special Integrated Presidential Programmes SMMEs - Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises SLF - Sustainable Livelihoods Framework TBVC - Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda and Ciskei UK - United Kingdom UN - United Nations URT - Urban Regime Theory URP - Urban Renewal Programme USA - United States of America WSED - World Summit on Environment and Development WWII - World War II (Second World War) viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration i Dedication ii Acknowledgements iii Integrative Summary v Acronyms vii Table of Contents ix Appendices xii List of Tables xii List of Figures xii CHAPTER ONE : INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY 1.1. Introduction 1 1.2. Statement of the Problem 1 1.3. Purpose of the Study 1 1.4. Objectives of the Study 2 1.5. Significance of the Study 2 1.6. Literature Review 3 1.7. Research Methodology 5 1.8. Delimitation of the Study 7 1.9. Ethical Considerations 7 1.10. Clarification of Concepts 8 1.11. Outline of the Study 10 ix CHAPTER TWO : CONCEPTUAL AND THEORECTICAL FRAMEWORK OF THE URBAN RENEWAL DISCOURSE 2.1. Introduction 11 2.2.